


my boy

by anoddconstellationofthoughts



Category: Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Based on a True Story, I am so sorry, Kid Bucky Barnes, Kid Steve Rogers, M/M, and i'll leave it at that, i am also sorry for that, i stole it, mama barnes Knows All
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 07:56:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18442310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anoddconstellationofthoughts/pseuds/anoddconstellationofthoughts
Summary: “Well, just know I’m planning on raising my hand when the priest asks for objections.”His stomach drops. “What? Why?”A single tear slowly rolls down her cheek, and she grips his hands tighter.“Because you were supposed to marry my boy.”as mentioned in the tags, this is loosely based off of something that happened to one of my friends. i just hope i did it justice.





	my boy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [justashotofdepresso](https://archiveofourown.org/users/justashotofdepresso/gifts).



“I’m gonna get you, Stevie!”

The other boy cackles, little legs pumping faster. “Nuh uh! ‘m faster than you.”

Bucky jogs a ways behind him. He grins unabashedly. “Sure you are, Stevie.”

Steve suddenly slows down, bending over to brace his hands on his knees. Bucky sprints up to him. He places a hand on his back and leaning down to see his face. “Steve?”

His only response is a sharp wheeze.

“Steve!”

The smaller boy starts coughing violently, body shaking as his lungs try to catch up.

“Steve, hey, hey hey no, it’s okay, sit down, sit down.” Bucky tries to keep his voice calm as he helps Steve sit down in the grass and keep his back straight. “There, okay, deep breaths, deep breaths, Stevie…”

They sit together until Steve stops coughing. Bucky wraps both arms around him and they curl into each other.

“Had me scared there for a sec, Stevie.”

Steve sighs tiredly. “Don’t. ’m okay. I can’t die.”

The taller boy stiffens. “Oh?”

“Yeah.” Steve wipes away a tear that Bucky hadn’t seen form. “Can’t die ‘til we get married.” He looks up to meet Bucky’s eyes. “We are gettin’ married, right?”

Bucky pulls him closer and rests his chin on the blond’s head. “Yeah. Of course, Stevie. Promise. ‘Til the end of the line.”

“‘Til the end of the line,” Steve whispers.

Winnifred Barnes watches from the window. She nods at Steve when he notices her, and smiles at his blush before turning away. She doesn’t need to keep watching. She knows. She’s always known.

And she approves.

 

Years pass, and the boys are now in high school. They’ve stuck together unfailingly through it all–George Barnes’ desertion, middle school and all the pain it brings, Sarah Rogers’ breast cancer… If anything, it’s brought them closer. Made them stronger.

High school is different, though.

High school is different because that’s when Steve moves away.

“We need to be closer to the new hospital,” Sarah Rogers explains, “and they’re offering a job there, Steve, and it pays better than this one, and… you and I both know how much we need it.”

Steve nods, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks, skin tight from the ones that have already begun to dry. He knows they need it. He’s not stupid.

But at the same time, he doesn’t know if he can do it without Bucky.

When they finally say goodbye, Bucky tells him he can. He tells him that they’ll keep in touch, that nothing can ever really separate them.

“‘Til the end of the line,” they say.

Neither of them mentions the promise from all those years ago, but they know. They’ve always known.

 

Steve’s close to graduating from high school, four years and a hundred pounds later.

He and Bucky have grown apart, despite their promise. They haven’t seen each other in all that time, and Steve feels guilty, but it doesn’t matter, he says to himself. It doesn’t matter because Bucky’s already graduated, and he’s coming to visit.

It’s been too long, but the wait is almost over.

He’s in sixth hour, three days out from graduation. It’s almost over.

His phone buzzes with a text from his mom.

_There was an accident._

No.

_Bucky’s train derailed over a mountain pass._

Steve’s heart stops.

_There were no survivors._

The phone clatters as he drops it on the desk, classmates looking over in alarm. The final line lies unread on the screen as Steve pushes back in his chair as if leaving the text will make its contents a lie.

_I’m so sorry, sweetheart… I’m so sorry._

 

The funeral is a somber experience.

Pictures of  Bucky’s life line the walls. Steve's in a lot of them, but not in others. He looks at all of them, savoring the memories of the ones he’s in and sadly gazing at the ones he’s not. He pointedly avoids the empty casket in the back of the room. He doesn’t need to think about that right now.

One picture catches his eye.

Fourteen-year-old Bucky Barnes grins back at him, a tiny Steve tucked tightly under his arm. Their eyes are swollen and red, and even though tear tracks still shine on his face, Bucky smiles brightly, as if the second a camera appeared, he couldn’t be happier. It’s the day they said goodbye.

Photo Steve and real-life Steve both try to smile.

Both fail.

“Steve?”

He spins around, startled. Winnie Barnes greets him with wide eyes, Bucky’s eyes, sadder and bluer than ever. He feels a sob begin to build up in his throat.

“Hey, Mrs. Barnes.”

She sighs with her whole body and pulls him in for a hug. “ _Steve_.”

They stay like that for a while, Steve’s huge arms wrapped around Winnie’s now-frail shoulders.

She eventually pulls back, not letting go, but instead resting her hands on his biceps. “You’ve grown.”

“Yeah.”

“You must get all the ladies, now, huh?”

He watches her face, unsure of how to respond. She only slides her hands down to hold his.

“You’d better invite me to your wedding someday, Steven.”

“I…” Steve swallowed. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

Winnie tilted her chin up in defiance. “Well, just know I’m planning on raising my hand when the priest asks for objections.”

Steve’s stomach drops. “What? Why?”

A single tear slowly rolls down her cheek, and she grips Steve’s hands tighter.

“Because you were supposed to marry my boy.”

Steve says nothing. He knows.

He's always known.

  


**Author's Note:**

> before you all get super concerned !!! my friend is steve, not me. i'm not involved in the actual story in any way; i'm just trying to honor it and keep the memory of her "bucky" alive.  
> extra thanks to [a_static_world]() for proofing this when she should’ve been proofing the editorial i didn’t write. you’re the bestttt  
> [justashotofdepresso]() also did this prompt, so go give her some love bc she’s literally my favorite person ever okay go do it  
> comments and kudos always know how to make a gal feel special <3


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